In a bid to reduce the number of park bison that are sent to slaughter, Yellowstone National Park officials are exploring the process of a quarantine program that could be developed to provide brucellosis-free animals to tribes and other entities looking to build bison herds.

In the past, in their bid to reduce the park's bison population, Yellowstone officials have had some bison shipped to slaughter. Now the park is seeking public comment on a plan to develop a quarantine program at one or more quarantine facilities that could be located within the national park, on tribal lands, or elsewhere. If created, the program is seen as a way to help conserve the species, "support the culture and nutrition of Native Americans, and reduce the number of Yellowstone bison that are shipped to processing facilities," a park release said.